Best Day Ever: Toronto FC Wins 2017 MLS Cup

December 9th, 2017 is a day TFC fans will remember forever. It was the day that Toronto FC got its redemption over the Seattle Sounders and won the 2017 MLS Cup. The best part about this was I got to experience it live.

I knew I was going to the MLS Cup Final less than 24 hours before the big game. My good friend Toni Canale Parola surprised me with a phone call telling me he had two extra tickets to the game. I took one and the other one went to my videographer Joseph Badzioch. Obviously. I mean I had to make sure I captured everything on gameday and no one does it better than Joseph.

The MLS Cup Final arrived as Joseph and I headed down to BMO Field. We made sure we got there early. Our excitement for being at the stadium made up for the fact that we were cold as sh*t. Welcome to Toronto.

You could tell that Joseph and I didn’t get out to too many TFC games this season because it took us an entire detour of the whole stadium to realize that our section for our seats was right beside our starting point. But hey, at least we talked to some Seattle Sounders fans on the way. They are a classy bunch, if I may add.

Finally, we took our seats. The view was astonishing. The crowd was fired up and the atmosphere was electric.

At this point, my hands were numb from the cold but I didn’t care because I was ready to experience an MLS Cup Final live.

The players were announced, the anthem was sung and the game was ready to start.

The first-half was all Toronto FC. If it wasn’t for Stefan Frei making key saves, this game could’ve been very lopsided after 45 minutes. The score was 0-0 at the half. We didn’t want this game to go to extra time for the second straight year.

The second-half commended and again it was all TFC. At this point I was freezing and could no longer text because my fingers couldn’t move. I was wearing gloves, but I’m pretty sure I still had frost bite.

TFC kept applying the pressure and the Sounders had no real answer, whatsoever. Then the 67th minute hit and poetic justice happened for Jozy Altidore. The same man who was robbed of his game-winning goal in last year’s MLS Cup Final, put the ball through the net after Giovinco hit him with a beautiful pass. The tie was broken. Toronto FC got the goal it needed and the crowd erupted.

Victor Vazquez then put the game away with a goal in injury time. The reaction and celebration that followed can not be put into words. The whistle blew and a great feeling of jubilation took over the stadium. Toronto FC were 2017 MLS Cup Champions.

After we watched Toronto FC celebrate with the MLS Cup, myself and Joseph took to the streets to capture the fan celebrations in another Waterboy On The Street. This was our best one yet.

Witnessing a major Toronto sports team win a championship live was the experience of a lifetime. The whole day was simply magical.

Good vibes carried on throughout the weekend and then Monday hit. Just when I thought my amazing experience was over, cue Toni Canale Parola once again. He called me to tell me that he had VIP access to the Toronto FC Victory Parade. I was on that opportunity in a heartbeat.

From marching with the supporters, to being sprayed with champagne by the players, to participating in one final Viking Clap of the year to holding the actual MLS Cup with TFC President Bill Manning; this experience was a great icing on the cake. I wasn’t alive when the Blue Jays last won the World Series, but I would argue that this sports parade was the biggest thing to happen to Toronto since that.

Here’s how it all went down.

It hasn’t been such a bad end to the year for Toronto sports. The Argos won the Grey Cup and then TFC followed that up with a championship of their own. Can the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Blue Jays now all follow suit? Even if they don’t, there’s no denying that the future is bright for Toronto sports.